Man-machine interaction, in terms of user input, is of utmost importance in portable communication devices. Splitting up one single keyboard into two or more sub-keyboards is one of the ways to improve the efficient use of a communication device. For example, in a Communicator, a phone keyboard can be used when the Communicator functions as a telephone, and another separate QWERTY keyboard can be used when the Communicator is used for other functions. As portable communication devices become smaller and more compact, the available space and volume for two or more sub-keyboards becomes more limited.
It is desirable to provide a cost-effective method and apparatus for entering information in an electronic device depending on the functions of the device.